Capo tasto



D. D. RAZE Sept. 15, 1959 CAPO TASTO Filed May 27, 1957 FIE: 45

INVENTOR, D 0064.45 0 R425 BY @QM a n FIE. 5'

Jrro RNE vs n d States Patent CAPO TASTO Douglas D. Raze, Minneapolis,Minn.

Application May 27, 1957, Serial No. 661,780

2 Claims. (Cl. 84-318) The invention herein has relation to a capotasto, commonly known as a capo, a device for clamping off all of thestrings of a ukulele, guitar, banjo, or other stringed instrument,selectively between different frets thereof to raise or lower the'pitchand thus change the key in which the instrument plays.

Capos now on the market are not satisfactory for various reasons. Someare clumsy and hinder finger movement, others are not as readily andeasily appliable as would be desirable, and others are unsatisfactoryfor a variety of different reasons. The object of this. invention is toprovide a capo of novel, simple, inexpensive and improved constructionwhich can be quickly applied and removed, offer no interference tofinger movement and perform its intended service or function insatisfactory and efficient manner.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a ukulele disclosing a capo madeaccording to the invention as when applied to use;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1,disclosing the capo in transverse section;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, taken as on line 3-3 in Fig. 2,disclosing the capo in end elevation;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational View of the key board and partsof the neck and finger board of the ukulele of Fig. 1 disclosing thecapo as when supported out of use on said key board;

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding generally with the disclosure of Fig. 2but showing parts of the neck and finger board of a ukulele of modifiedconstruction and a capo incorporating the features and characteristicsof the invention as when applied to use; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the capo as when removed from a ukuleleor other stringed instrument.

In Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing there is disclosed a ukulele of what maybe termed the better grade. It includes a sound box It) with waist 11and sound hole 12, key board 13 with keys 14, neck plate 15, neck 16,bridge 17 with tail piece 18 and strings 19 extending over a nut 20 andalong the neck between the keys and tail piece. An elongated fingerboard 21 is constituted as an ivory slab or facing upon and extendinglongitudinally of the neck, and 22 denotes the usual frets upon andextending across the finger board beneath and in spaced relation to thestrings. An elongated steel bar 23, rectangular in cross section,extends longitudinally of the neck centrally of and immediately belowthe finger board, and, as disclosed, said steel bar includes alongitudinally extending slot in the center of its upper surface boundedat the bottom thereof by a surface 24 of the steel bar in parallel,facing relation to the lower surface of said finger board, at theopposite sides thereof by parallel, interiorly facing surfaces, eachindicated 25, perpendicular to the finger board and at the top thereofby said finger board lower surface. Longitudinally spaced, straightapertures, each represented 26, through the finger board at the icetransverse center thereof slant diagonally toward the sound box end ofthe ukulele. The upper end of each of the apertures 26 is contiguouswith the upper surface of said finger board at a location above a nextadjacent lower fret 22, and the lower end of each aperture is contiguouswith the slot in the elongated bar 23 at a location beneath said nextadjacent lower fret. As disclosed, each aperture 26 is bounded ordefined by an internal cylindrical surface of the finger board.

The capo of the present invention is constituted as a T-unit of metal,desirably spring steel, including a transversely extending head portion27 and an upright foot portion 28 in the plane of and perpendicular tosaid head portion and integrally secured to the longitudinal centerthereof. As disclosed both the head portion and foot portion arecylindrical, and said head portion is encased in a plastic sleeve 29.

The manner of use of the capo will be apparent. The foot portion, suchas 28, thereof will be removably inserted in different apertures 26, asthese may be selected, and pushed downwardly to position, as in Figs. 2and 3, where the lower end of said foot portion is pressingly engagedagainst the surface 24 bounding the bottom of the elongated slot in thesteel bar, such as 23, extending along the neck of the musicalinstrument to cause a part of the foot portion below the finger board tobecome flexed toward the sound box end of said musical instrument andsaid foot portion to be frictionally retained in the aperture in saidfinger board, and the head portion, such as 27, or a sleeve thereon, tobecome engaged against the strings to cause these to be clamped downupon the ret. The head portion of the T-unit will be of length to engageall of the strings when the capo is applied, and said head portion willremain in clamping relation to the strings of the musical instrument byreason of friction applied to the foot portion of said T-unit. The capoor T-unit can be quickly and easily inserted in and removed from any ofthe diagonal apertures in the finger board. The head portion of theT-unit, or a sleeve thereon, will exert equal pressure on each of thestrings, and the force of the strings exerted against said head portionwill be exerted transversely of the foot portion, and not in directiontending to withdraw the T-unit from the finger board. In Fig. 4 the capois disclosed as when out of use and mounted or stored for safe keepingin a diagonal aperture in the key board 13.

Fig. 5 discloses parts of the neck and finger board of a ukulele ofinexpensive construction. Frets 30', of usual construction, extendacross the finger board. Longitudinally spaced, straight apertures, eachrepresented 31, extending downwardly through the finger board and intothe neck, slant diagonally toward the sound box end of the musicalinstrument. The upper end of each of the apertures 31 is contiguous withthe upper surface of the finger board at a location above a nextadjacent lower fret 3t), and the lower ends of the apertures terminateat the sound box side of the frets. Each of the apertures 31 is boundedor defined by an internal cylindrical surface.

The capo of Fig. 5 may be of the same construction as, or equivalent to,the capo of Fig. 6. The foot portion thereof will be removably insertedselectively in the different apertures 31 and the head portion will bepushed down against the strings to position where they are clamped uponthe fret. The head portion will remain in clamping relation to thestrings by reason of friction applied to the foot portion. The forceexerted by the strings will be applied upwardly transversely of theT-unit and not in direction tending to withdraw said T-unit from theapertures.

It will be apparent that the elongated steel bar 23 of the ukulele ofFigs. 1 to 4 need not be longitudinally slotted. Instead, the apertures26 could extend down into apertures in the steel bar which werecontinuations of said apertures 26. In such an event, the capo employedwould perform its service or function in the same manner as set forth inconnection with the disclosure of Fig. 5.

vWhat is claimed is:

1. The combination with a musical instrument consisting of a sound boxhaving a bridge and a tail piece thereon, a key board with keys, a neckextending between and connecting said sound box and key board providingan external surface, longitudinally spaced frets supported on saidexternal surface and disposed transversely of said neck in spaced,adjacent relation to each other, said neck having an aperture thereincontiguous with its external surface at a location between said spacedfrets and disposed diagonally of said external surface of said neck andstrings extending along said neck and over said bridge in spaced,adjacent relation to the external surface of said neck and said spacedfrets and connected between said tail piece and keys, of a device forclamping off said strings constituted as a unit consisting of a footportion snugly slidable into and removable from said aperturelongitudinally thereof and a head portion secured to and extendingtransversely of said foot portion pressingly engageable against surfacesof said strings in clamped down relation thereto at sides of the stringsopposite the external surface of said neck and the spaced frets betweensaid spaced frets in response to slidable insertion of the foot portioninto said aperture, said foot portion when in said aperture beingsituated in oblique relation to said strings and the external surface ofsaid neck, and force of the strings exerted against said head portionwhen in clamped down relation to said strings being exerted against saidfoot portion transversely thereof.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said foot portion ofthe clamping device is flexible.

References Cited in the file of this patent

